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<blockquote sty --001a1133e4cae8569b04f81d8c83 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I did walk the entire trail today. The numbers of Black-capped Chickadees and Juncos were normal. But on the way in, about 50% further than Jamie's point, I found a large flock of Goldfinches behaving exactly as described: very high, very noisy, and mobile. They were feeding on red maple (flowers ?) as much as on hemlock. There were at least 50 and they flew off before I left. On the way out, about 2 hours later, I found a larger number roughly where Jamie saw them. They were on both sides of the river this time, behaving the same. I'll report 100 to eBird but there could easily be 200. You can't see many of these birds in the hemlocks, nor even all of the ones in the hardwoods, due to the height and the hemlocks. They are quite mobile so I'm not commenting on what was there yesterday. When I went in, there was nothing where there were 100 or 200 later. They were all Goldfinches; I looked at dozens of them. There were no Pine Siskens, unfortunately. They do like hemlocks and in years past there have been 2 or 3 dozen at times. I heard one Red Crossbill way upriver and felt I heard a Crossbill with the Goldfinches, but couldn't confirm it. Rick Whitman On Sun, Apr 27, 2014 at 5:49 PM, Shouty McShoutsalot < desolatechair@gmail.com> wrote: > We took a hike along the trail this morning. It's still quite wet but as > always, stunning. About 1.8k west of the White Rock bridge I noticed a > high pitched, pervasive chorus above me that seemed to come from everywhere > and nowhere. The river takes a sharp north hook here and the opposite bank > climbs sharply - about 75 degrees - to the escarpment 50 metres above. For > about 80 metres along that side this bank is heavily wooded with mature > conifers - mostly Hemlocks, with some Pines etc. Numerous trees were > thickly covered in cones, and the high heavy canopy was flooded with small > very active birds. The visual conditions were poor - I was in the gloom of > the floodplain and they were in the high canopy across the river against > the bright sky - but I was able to identify American Goldfinch, Northern > Chickadee, and Juncos. But it was the volume and density of the noise that > struck me, even over the running water. By visual count I'd say 500 birds > in the 80mx50m area, but I believe based on the racket there were > thousands. It was stunning. > > -- > Jamie Simpson > Hantsport, NS > -- Rick Whitman --001a1133e4cae8569b04f81d8c83 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">I did walk the entire trail today. The numbers of Black-ca= pped Chickadees and Juncos were normal. But on the way in, about 50% furthe= r than Jamie's point, I found a large flock of Goldfinches behaving exa= ctly as described: very high, very noisy, and mobile. They were feeding on = red maple (flowers ?) as much as on hemlock. There were at least 50 and the= y flew off before I left. On the way out, about 2 hours later, I found a la= rger number roughly where Jamie saw them. They were on both sides of the ri= ver this time, behaving the same. I'll report 100 to eBird but there co= uld easily be 200. You can't see many of these birds in the hemlocks, n= or even all of the ones in the hardwoods, due to the height and the hemlock= s. They are quite mobile so I'm not commenting on what was there yester= day. When I went in, there was nothing where there were 100 or 200 later. T= hey were all Goldfinches; I looked at dozens of them.<div> <br></div><div>There were no Pine Siskens, unfortunately. They do like heml= ocks and in years past there have been 2 or 3 dozen at times. I heard one R= ed Crossbill way upriver and felt I heard a Crossbill with the Goldfinches,= but couldn't confirm it.</div> <div><br></div><div>Rick Whitman</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br>= <br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sun, Apr 27, 2014 at 5:49 PM, Shouty McSh= outsalot <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:desolatechair@gmail.com" t= arget=3D"_blank">desolatechair@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">We took a hike along the tr= ail this morning. =A0It's still quite wet but as always, stunning. =A0A= bout 1.8k west of the White Rock bridge I noticed a high pitched, pervasive= chorus above me that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. =A0The ri= ver takes a sharp north hook here and the opposite bank climbs sharply - ab= out 75 degrees - to the escarpment 50 metres above. =A0For about 80 metres = along that side this bank is heavily wooded with mature conifers - mostly H= emlocks, with some Pines etc. =A0Numerous trees were thickly covered in con= es, and the high heavy canopy was flooded with small very active birds. =A0= The visual conditions were poor - I was in the gloom of the floodplain and = they were in the high canopy across the river against the bright sky - but = I was able to identify American Goldfinch, Northern Chickadee, and Juncos. = =A0But it was the volume and density of the noise that struck me, even over= the running water. =A0By visual count I'd say 500 birds in the 80mx50m= area, but I believe based on the racket there were thousands. =A0It was st= unning.<span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><br clear=3D"all"> <div><br></div>-- <br><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Jamie Simpson<br></div>Hantspor= t, NS<br></div> </font></span></div> </blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Rick Whitman= <br> </div> --001a1133e4cae8569b04f81d8c83--
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